Bee lovers abuzz over Oak Park vote

The honey will soon be flowing in Oak Park after the village board gave tentative approval to allow beekeeping.

On a 6-1 vote, the board tentatively moved to repeal the existing ban on beekeeping.

Those interested will need approval from the village to do so, but officials expect the amount of interested residents to be relatively small. Oak Park officials looked to Evanston, which authorized the practice in 2006, as a template, and the north suburb only has five such permits.

The village government’s staff still needs to work out details, such as a notification requirement for neighbors and a mandatory barrier around the hives. One more vote is needed for final approval, but repealing the ban received a favorable response from the majority of the board Monday night.

“Bees get sort of a bad rap as far as stings are concerned,” said Gary Gates, president of the Cook-DuPage Beekeepers Association. “They are docile creatures that only defend themselves or the hive.”

Proponents, many of whom are residents interested in starting their own bee colonies, argue that extra honey bees are good for local gardens.

The primary concern from residents, according to emails received by the board of health, are allergy-related problems from stings, but experts brought before the board downplayed those risks. The board invited beekeeping experts and doctors who said allergy-related deaths from bee stings are relatively rare.

About 40 to 100 people die every year across the nation from stinging insects, which includes not only bees, wasps and hornets, but also fire ants and other insects, said Dr. Paul Luning, chief medical officer at Lake Street Family Health Center in Oak Park.